After 3 years of medical neglect in immigration detention, Marlon should be released

Marlon Francisco Vaz has been in immigration detention for over 3 years.

Three months into his detention at the now closed North Georgia Detention Center Marlon underwent a tooth extraction surgery that left half of his face paralyzed.

Immediately after the surgery, Marlon began to experience droopiness in his right eye, and loss of feeling and muscle control over the right side of his face. Instead of releasing him so that he could acquire medical attention, ICE has ignored the severity of the permanent damage of his condition and has failed to provide proper medical treatment.

Less than seven days after the botched surgery, ICE ordered him deported, on March 19, 2012, without him seeing an Immigration Judge. ICE has pressured the Brazilian government to issue travel documents, while threatening Marlon with criminal prosecution for “not aiding in his removal.”

In addition to the denial of medical care, Marlon’s requests for medical release from custody have also been ignored as ICE continues to hold him, and his health continues to deteriorate.

Please sign below to urge ICE to release Marlon Vaz for medical reasons so that he can receive adequate medical attention.

Three years after a botched surgery in an ICE facility that left half of his face permanently paralyzed, ICE continues to prioritize his detention instead of his release. Please sign below to tell ICE to release Marlon!

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Click here to see message to the New Orleans ICE Field Office

Dear Assistant Director Brian Acuna,

I am writing as a concerned member of the public regarding the continued detention of Mr. Marlon Francisco Vaz (A#205132331). I urge you to consider using prosecutorial discretion to release Mr. Vaz so that he can obtain necessary medical treatment.

Mr. Vaz has been in ICE custody since January 2012. His case is particularly troubling as according to Mr. Vaz’s story, ICE has failed to provide medical treatment for the 3 years he has been detained, despite a diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy as a result of a botched dental surgery in an ICE facility that was run by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). On March 12, 2012, while detained at the now closed North Georgia Detention Center. Mr. Vaz underwent a tooth extraction surgery that has left half of his face paralyzed. Instead of releasing him so that he can acquire medical attention, ICE has ignored the severity of the permanent damage of his condition and has failed to provide proper medical treatment.

As a member of the public I am very concerned that Mr. Vaz’s requests for medical release from custody have been ignored. I urge you to use prosecutorial discretion to release Mr. Vaz so that he can receive adequate medical attention.

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As the immigration debate continues, #Not1More enters the discussion from the place that touches people in concrete ways and can offer tangible relief. By collectively challenging unfair deportations and unjust policy through organizing, art, legislation, and action, we aim to reverse criminalization, build migrant power, and create immigration policies based on principles of inclusion.Read More »